TheDonnellyPost

LosAltos,CaliforniaTuesday,December8,20152pages
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When

Iwasyounger,Iremembermymother
tellingmethatifamanevertouchesme
inappropriatelywithoutmyconsent,kickhimtothe
groundandcallthepolice.Irememberwondering
whatmymommeantwhenshesaid
inappropriately.Myconfusiondidntlastforlong
andmiddleschoolcertainlyteachestweensandteens
whattheyneedtoknowaboutallthingssexual.The
occasionalrapejokewouldbebroughtupina
conversionandmypeerswouldlaughandgiggle.
Someonewouldhugtheirfriendandthatfriend
wouldshout,Help,Imbeingraped!sarcastically
andfrivolously.Idontthinktheyrealizedthatsexual
assaultwasntjustrape.Ataschooldance,whenI
wasonlytwelveyearsold,aboyaskedmetodance
andIgladlyaccepted.Whileweawkwardlyslow
danced,anotherboycameupbehindmeandstarted
tograbmeinappropriately.

WhenInoticedwhathewasdoing,Iwasntsurewhatto
doandlookedbackatmydancepartner.Itwasasifhe
didntevennoticewhatwashappeningandjustletouta
sighandgiggledalittle.Theboybehindmesaid,Jesus,
cantyoujusttakeajoke?.

Itoldmyfriendswhathappenedandtheysaidthatitwas
acompliment.WhatIdidntshowanyone,wasthatthe
boyhadbruisedmylegandIhadscratchmarksonmy
lowerback.ThefactthatIfeltIhadtohidemybodyfrom
othersandcoverupmybruiseswithmakeupfurther
provestheideathatsexualassaultisstilltakenlightly.

Ayearandahalfago,LeahFrancis,aformerStanford
studentwasrapedbyamaleStanfordstudent.Aftershe
reportedhimforviolatingtheFundamentalStandard,he
wastoldthathemustcomplete40hoursofcommunity
serviceandnot

allowedtoenrollforfivequarters.Inanemailthat
detailswhathadhappened,Francissaid,Afterhis
suspension(gapyear)iscomplete,Stanfordinvites
myrapistbacktocampusforgradschoolshouldhe
changehismindandgotogradschoolelsewhere,he
canchoosetowalkawayfromStanfordwithno
significantundergraduateconsequencesforforcibly
sexuallyassaultingme.
Sheledarallylastyearforincreasedsupportfor
victimsofsexualassaultandastricterpunishment
forthosewhowerefoundguiltyofsexualassault.

CausesofRape

Twomonthsago,Stanfordproudlyreleasedthe
resultsofasurveythatclaimedthatonly1.9%ofall
undergraduateandgraduatestudentsaresexually
assaulted.PresidentJohnHennessyalsowrotethat,
Tous,anynumberabovezeroisunacceptable.
Malescanalsobevictimsofsexualassault,butitisa
factthattheyarelesslikelytobereported.Inorderto
lowerthepercentage,Stanfordincludedmeninthis
statistic.MicheleDauber,aStanfordlawprofessor
explainedthatthisinformationissimilartosaying
that,"theaveragelengthofahumangiraffeneckis6
feet.Ittellsyounothingabouthumansorgiraffesand
isjustmisleadingaboutboth.IfStanfordhadwanted
amoreaccuratedepictionofwhattheirsexualassault
ratelookedliketheywouldhavealsohadtousea
broaderdefinitionofsexualassault.Thedefinitionof
sexualassaultthattheyusedwas,unlawfulsexual
intercourseoranyothersexualpenetration,
however,thatisclassifiedasrapeandnotsexual
assault.WhatHennessydidntchoosetoshareisthat
43%ofstudentsexperiencedsexualmisconductand
thisstatisticincludesbothmenandwomen.

Every107seconds,anAmericanissexually
assaulted.

Oneoutofsixwomenhavebeenraped
(Onacollegecampus,theratesareeven
higher)

Oneoutofthirtythreemenhavebeenraped

Victimsofsexualassaultarefourtimes
morelikelytocontemplatesuicide,sixtimes
morelikelytohaveposttraumaticstress
disorder(PTSD),andtwentysixtimesmore
likelytoabusedrugs

Rapeandsexualassaultremainsoneofthe
mostunreportedcrimeswithonly39%ofall
casesreportedtopoliceeveryyear

Oftheoneundergraduatestudentwe
interviewed,threeofherclosefriendshave
beenraped.

80%ofallrapevictimsareunderage30

98%ofrapistswillneverspendadayinjail

OnApril28,2015,adocumentaryconcerningthe
sexualassaultandrapeincollegesplayedatStanfordand
thefilmsproducer,StanfordsTitleIXCoordinator,and
theDirectoroftheOfficeofSexualAssault&Relationship
AbuseEducation&Response(SARA)tookquestions
afterwards.Thedocumentaryairedagainlastmonthand
Iwasluckyenoughtowatchit.Atonepointinthemovie,
Igrabbedtheedgeofmyseattightlyandclosedmyeyes.
Thosearoundmecringedandsomeshedatearatthe
endcredits.Itwasasifthewholeaudiencesuddenly
becameawareoftheissuethatmostcollegesand
universitieschoosetoignore.
AStanfordstudentnexttomesaidunderhisbreath,
Whydonttheyunderstandthatnomeansno?


ThemoviemademethinkaboutwhatStanforddoes
aboutsexualassaulttodayandhowitcanimprove.I
decidedtodosomeresearchandfoundthatthereis
actuallyanewsetofstandardsforthosewhoworkat
theOfficeofSexualAssault&RelationshipAbuse
Education&Response.Iinterviewedawomannamed
JaneHarrisonwhohasbeenworkingatStanfordasa
ParentAdvisorforfiveyears.

WhenIaskedherwhatisbeingdonetodayto
supportthosewhohavebeenvictims,shesaid:

Stanfordhashadaprettythorougheducationaland
awarenesscampaignforallincomingfreshmanand
currentstudentsaboutsexualassault.Everyoneon
campusfaculty,staffandstudentshavetotake
sexualharassmenttrainingevery23years.They
formedaSexualAssaultTaskForcein2014whichis
ledbytheDeanoftheLawSchoolandhas
representationofstaff,studentsandfaculty.

So,ifStanfordisDoingEverythingintheirPower,
whyisSexualAssaultStillanIssue?

Harrisonbelievesthatoneofthebiggestreasons
behindsexualassaultatStanfordisalcohol:
Ithinkalcoholplaysabigroleinmanyofthecases.
Thisisanotherproblemoncampusthattheyare
workinghardtocombatthrougheducational
programs.

Theideathatalcoholplaysaroleinsexualabuseand
rapeisntfarfetched.AcasestudybytheUniversity
ofMichiganfoundthat50%ofallsexualassault
involvesalcoholbyeithertherapistorthevictim.

Alcoholdoesnotcauserape.Rapistscauserape.Rapists
andabusersusealcoholasawaytointoxicatetheir
victim.

However,itisimportanttorememberthatrapeisnever
thevictimsfault.Anotherwaythatrapistsandabusers
manipulatetheirvictimsisbyusingdaterapedrugs,or
roofies.Theseareeasilydroppedinonesdrinkand
willcauseheorshetonotknowwheretheyareorwho
theyarewith.

ThecurrentActingDirector,CarlyJ.FlaneryoftheSARA
(OfficeofSexualAssaultandRelationshipAbuseonthe
StanfordCampus)saysthatAlcoholisaneasy
scapegoat,peoplearestillmakingdecision,andweoften
findthatthesurvivorisoftenmuchmoreintoxicated
thantheperpetrator.Regardlessoftheinvolvementof
alcohol,folksstillneedtogetconsentandbeableto
recognizeincapacitation.Theinvolvementofalcoholtoo
oftenmakestherapeseemlessterrifying,wheninreality
itisstillthesamecrime.

Alcoholshouldalsonotevenbeanexcuseforsexual
assault.Itisnotanexcuseinanyothercrime.Forsome
reasonwhenitcomestosexuallyviolatingsomeones
bodyweacceptthisexcuse.Asasocietywehavecreated
thisproblem.Andasasocietywecanuncreatethis
problem.(Flanery).

TheStigma

Anotherproblemthevictim'sfaceisthestigmathat
comeswithreportingasexualassaultcrime.Itis
importanttoknowthatmalevictimsandfemale
victimsarebothnegativelyaffectedbythisstigma.

Malesarenottakenseriouslyaspeoplethinkthat
mencannotbevictims(Gregory)andwhenthe
sexualassaultbecomesapparentItisverymuch
[treated]astheirfaultasmalesarenottreatedas
menenough(Stein).Theirreportsareoftenmet
withpeoplethinkingthatitisamasculinityproblem
morethananythingelse(Stein).Sobecausetheir
bodiesweresexuallyassaulted,theirsexualityis
beingcalledintoquestion.Flawlesslogic.

PoppyHarlowsaidItisincrediblydifficult,evenforan
outsiderlikeme,towatchwhathappenedasthesetwo
youngmenthathadsuchpromisingfutures,starfootball
players,verygoodstudents,literallywatchedasthey
believedtheirlivesfellapart...whenthatsentencecame
down,[Ma'lik]collapsedinthearmsofhisattorney...He
saidtohim,'Mylifeisover.Nooneisgoingtowantme
now.Therewasnosympathyforthisgirlwhohadbeen
throughsomuchtrauma,andinsteadtheysidedwiththe
rapists,becausetheyhadpromisingfutures.Andyet
therewasnomentionofthevictimsfuture.

WhatCanBeDone?

Womenarealsonegativelyaffectedbythisstigma
andareoftenblamedforwhatoccursandtheytend
tofeellikeitistheirfault(Gregory).

IntheSteubenvilleHighSchoolRapeCase,ateenage
girlblackedoutfromtoomuchalcoholandwasgang
raped.Hertormentwasvideotapedandputonthe
internetandyetwhenshereportedthecrime,
peopleclaimedthatshewasputtingherselfinthis
situationandthenbyreportingshewasruining
thesemen'slives(Flanery).CNN,aswellasother
infamousnewstations,sympathizedwiththerapists.

SARAisworkinghardtodevelopprogramsforvictims
whoareuncomfortablewiththeideaoftherapy.Asof
Wednesday,December9,theyfinishedtheirfirstyoga
therapysession.Theyhopetoincreasetheavailabilityto
victimsandmakeitlessterrifyingtoreporttotheir
office.

Althoughthatisgreat,thebiggestproblemwefacenow
istheacceptanceofalcoholasanexcuseandthestigma
associatedwithreporting.Wemuststopaccepting
alcoholasaneasyanswerandholdtheperpetrators
accountablefortheiractions.Theyarewellawareof
whattheyaredoinganditistimethatintoxicationisno
longeranacceptableanswer.Itisalsopertinentthatwe
worktowardserasingthestigmaassociatedwithsexual
assault.Beingavictimdoesnotmakeoneweaknor
doesitmakeonedamaged.Peopleneedtounderstand
thatsexualassaultisnotthevictim'sfaultnorisitthe
alcoholitissolelytherapists.

WorksCited:
Abbey,Antonia,Ph.D,TinaZawacki,M.A.,andPamMcAuslan,Ph.D."AlcoholandSexualAssault."Alcoholand
SexualAssault.NationalInstituteonAlcoholAbuseandAlcoholism,n.d.Web.10Dec.2015.

Krebs,ChristopherP.,Ph.D,ChristineH.Lindquist,Ph.D,andTaraD.Warner,M.A."CampusDrugsandSexual
Assault."PsycEXTRADataset(2008):n.pag.NationalInstituteofJustice.U.S.DepartmentofJustice,Jan.2008.
Web.2Dec.2015.

"TheStanfordUniversity2015Safety,SecurityandFireReport."StanfordUniversitySafety&SecurityReport.
StanfordUniversityDepartmentofPublicSafety,28Sept.2015.Web.10Dec.2015

Stuber,Sophie,andSarahOrtlipSommers."CongresswomanJackieSpeierSpeaksatStudentCongressional
SummitonSexualAssault."StanfordDaily.StanfordUniversity,11Nov.2015.Web.05Dec.2015.

Interviews:
OliviaGregory:studentontheStanfordCampus
CarlyJ.Flanery:ActingDirectoroftheSARADepartmentontheStanfordCampus
TrishaStein:WritingProfessoratStanford
JaneHarrison:DirectorofParentsProgram